Denmark’s state-run postal service, PostNord, will deliver its last ever letter on Tuesday, as the digital age brings its 400-year run to an end.
This makes Denmark the first country in the world to decide that physical mail is no longer either essential or economically viable. If you want to send physical mail in Denmark now, you’ll need to use a third-party mail service.
I hate hate hate this.
I’ve written more than 1,000 letters over the past five years. Actual, physical letters to countless people and businesses:
Friends, colleagues, students, my own family, clients, authors, local businesses, and so many more.
Remarkable things have happened as a result.
Unexpected connections.
New friendships.
Glorious reconnections with former classmates, teachers, principals, and students.
Just this week, I received two letters:
One from a storytelling friend and another from a former student. I was thrilled to receive both.
The elimination of the post office strikes me as awful and tragic. A sad moment in Denmark’s history.
The day may come when digital communication necessitates the elimination of the US Post Office, but I hope that it doesn’t happen for at least ten thousand years.
